1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to digital media devices, and more specifically, to managing media content associated with digital media devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital media recording devices can be used for recording media signals, such as audio and/or video signals, in a digital format. Such devices may also be used for the storage and playback of such signals. Specific examples of such digital media recording devices are a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) and a Personal Video Recorder (PVR).
In general, a DVR may be used to schedule and record future television programs, for buffering live television programs in a time-shift buffer, and/or playback of the digitally recorded media. The incoming media signals may be received, potentially decrypted and/or encoded, and digitally stored on a storage medium. The storage medium is commonly a non-volatile storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) (i.e., hard drive), among other acceptable mediums. Such an HDD can write the digital media data on a magnetic surface of the HDD disk platters and read the media data at later times for playback.
From time-to-time, users of a DVR may wish to upgrade or replace their current DVR with a replacement DVR. For example, the replacement DVRs may include new features not supported by the current DVR. However, in some cases, users balk at upgrading the DVR because media content stored to the current DVR is unable to be transferred to the replacement DVR. Thus, many users choose to refrain from upgrading their DVR, losing out on many exciting features in new models. Additionally, producers of DVRs and others who benefit from their sale or rental, potentially lose revenue over the lost sales.
Accordingly, the present disclosure includes a number of potential embodiments for resolving the aforementioned deficiencies of conventional media recording devices.